Going Rogue
by Foxy527
Summary: Is Kono really going over to the "dark side"?; Would Steve really be unaware of what is going on even if she was? I doubt it! So this is my take on what may be going on at the beginning of Season 2.


**This is a "one shot" that has come to mind as I've watched the first few episodes of Season 2. I have a hard time believing that Kono is really going over to "the dark side", so this is my take on what might be going on. (Plus, I've heard some rumors and possible spoilers online that might suggest this story line in the future). If there is more to the story than we've seen so far, I doubt our Super SEAL would be in the dark about it; Especially since we haven't seen him say much about Kono's situation on the first 3 episodes of the season. It's not like him to abandon his "family", so this is my idea of what might be going on. Please review, if you feel like it. I love to read comments/suggestions!**

To say the last few weeks had been hectic was practically the understatement of the century. Steve McGarrett had been accused of killing Governor Jameson, spent a couple of weeks in prison, lost his Five-0 team, broken out of prison with the help of his arch nemesis, Victor Hess, and eventually cleared of the charges against him. Then Steve had managed to get his Five-0 team reinstated and his "family" together again...with the exception of Kono Kalakua. As if this wasn't enough to put his mind in a tailspin, a new team member had been introduced to the Five-0 task force and his mentor and surrogate father, Joe White, had come back into this life.

Steve felt a certain sense of security having Joe back, but he was still unsure how he felt about Lori Weston's arrival. For the time being, he was doing what was necessary to achieve some form of normalcy and get his team back on track. So far, Lori had proven herself to be resourceful, intelligent, and able to handle herself in a volatile situation. Steve smiled to himself as he remembered Danny's plea to not let her get shot at on her first day, but things hadn't worked out that way. However, he had to give her credit; She had held her own as they worked feverishly to free their kidnap victim and return her to her family. Lori had gotten 'down and dirty' with the rest of them and helped resolve the situation. She had also returned to work the next day which was always a positive sign.

There was no denying that Lori was easy on the eyes as well. Steve noticed that as soon as she came into the governor's office on the day they met. He couldn't help but notice her long blond hair, beautiful eyes, and gorgeous figure when she walked in. They had exchanged some playful banter, but everything had taken on a different tone when it became apparent Lori was being placed on the Five-0 task force much to the dismay of them both. She didn't seem thrilled with the arrangement since she'd called it "babysitting" and Steve certainly wasn't looking to recruit any new members either. In the end, the decision had not been theirs to make so they were trying to make the best of the situation. Truth be known, no one would replace Kono….Not in Steve's mind, anyway. For now he was hoping the arrangement with Agent Lori Weston was only temporary and Kono would soon be back where she belonged.

Kono. Though Steve would probably deny it to anyone, she held a special place in his heart. She was his rookie…..his responsibility…and he had let her down. Everything he had been through in recent weeks was nothing compared to the pain he felt inside for Kono. It tore him up inside to know what she had been through with Internal Affairs over their money heist months earlier. That situation had eventually caused her to lose her badge and tarnish her reputation in front of everyone in Hawaii. She was suffering for something that wasn't completely her fault and it was breaking his heart to see it go on.

Things were going to change, though, and plans were in place to get her back on the team. Unknown to Danny and Chin, their team wasn't as fractured as it seemed but Steve had to keep that fact quiet for the time being. Kono had been offered a deal that would enable her to get her job back, and although she had been given strict instructions not to speak to anyone about it, she had come to Steve for advice before giving them her final decision. He had been surprised that she had called him instead of Chin. Actually, _surprised_ probably wasn't the right word…..He was more humbled than surprised and he'd been incredibly honored that she would trust him with something so important. He had always hoped his team members would feel comfortable coming to him with things like this, but Kono had been the first to take him up on the offer. He would never forget the conversation that had ensued when she showed up on his doorstep one night several weeks earlier.

_Steve had just gotten out of the shower and put on a pair of sweats when he heard his doorbell ring. It was already after 10:00 p.m so he wondered who would be coming by at such a late hour. Opening up the door, he was surprised to see Kono standing there looking beautiful as ever. He heard her intake of breath and watched her eyes roam over him quickly as she noticed he was only wearing his pants. He saw a little smile cross her lips before she quickly erased it. Admittedly, he liked the little thrill it gave him in the pit of his stomach to realize she may've liked what she saw._

"_Sorry, Boss. I should've called before showing up this late." She said._

"_No, no….Come on in." he ushered her into the house and ran upstairs to put on a shirt before returning to the living room where she stood nervously waiting._

"_You okay?" Steve asked._

_Kono looked up and gave him a weak smile. "I really should be asking you that since you're the one who's been through so much the last few weeks. Murder accusations, prison breakouts, near death experiences."_

_Steve shrugged and gave her a warm smile. "I'm fine, Kono. It's __**you**__ I'm worried about." He noticed her wringing her hands a little and looking nervous, so he offered her a beer. He quickly returned from the kitchen with one for each of them and took her hand to lead her to the couch. After they sat down, he said, "Tell me what's going on."_

_She looked up at him with such vulnerability and uncertainty in her beautiful brown eyes that he thought his heart would melt. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay, but he knew the boundaries they had to keep….at least for now. So, he waited._

"_I've been offered a chance to clear my name and get my badge back." She almost whispered._

_Steve was instantly intrigued. "Kono, that's GREAT!"_

"_Maybe….maybe not….Depends on how you look at it, I suppose."_

"_Okay. Go on." He prodded._

_Kono took a deep breath. "I'm not supposed to be talking to anyone about this. If I.A. finds out I talked to you, it would probably jeopardize any chance I have at getting reinstated, but I had to talk to someone. You're the first one I thought of."_

_His heart softened at her words. She was looking down at her hands in her lap, so he took one of them in his and gently nudged her chin up to look at him, "Kono, I'm glad you feel comfortable coming to me. I promise you, whatever you tell me will not leave this room."_

_Kono continued, "I've been offered an undercover assignment to help bring in some cops who've gone rogue."_

_Steve sat up a little straighter and his famous aneurism face showed itself as he asked, "What do you mean?"_

"_There were a number of cops who lost their badges several years ago due to some illegal activity that was going on. They were basically blackmailing some of the more elusive and wealthy criminals on the islands. Rather than running them in, these cops were extorting money from them in exchange for keeping them out of jail. When I.A. found out about it and did an investigation, several cops lost their jobs over it. The leader of the group was Frank Delano."_

_She looked at Steve and decided to continue when he didn't say anything in response. "Since leaving the force, Frank has apparently now gotten into bed with some of those guys and is helping them stay one step ahead of HPD along the way. He may be getting some inside help, but I.A. hasn't been able to prove that yet. They have basically offered to reinstate me if I go undercover and infiltrate Frank's group."_

_It was a dangerous proposition and Steve didn't like the idea of his rookie taking such a risk. Who was he kidding?-It wasn't the fact that she was a rookie that was bothering him. No, the real reason he didn't like the thought of her being put into that position was because he had feelings for her. Having her in such a dangerous situation would probably keep him up at night. He didn't want to make his feelings obvious, though, so he tried to stay objective, "How do they suggest you do that? Infiltrate his circle, I mean?"_

"_Well, since everyone in Hawaii knows I've lost my badge and have no where to go, they've made some suggestions on how I can make myself appealing and sort of make myself a target as someone Frank would want to 'recruit'.'"_

_Make her a __**target**__? He __**really**__ didn't like the sound of that! As he sat contemplating everything she'd said, she continued:_

"_I have to give them a decision tomorrow and I don't know what to do. Being a cop is all I've ever wanted. If I can get that back, I'm willing to do this…but I don't know if I'm up for it." She looked at him with uncertainty. _

_Deciding to put his own fears for her safety aside, Steve took both of her hands in his and gave her a reassuring squeeze, "Listen to me, Kono Kalakua. You are one of the strongest women I have ever known. You've already done some pretty impressive undercover work for us and you were incredible, so you are definitely capable of handling this job. You've just got to watch your back." Then as an after thought he added, "Oh, and be sure to keep a can of that Kalakua Kick Ass in your back pocket if you need it." That made her laugh and seemed to settle her nerves a little. _

"_So you really think I could do this?" _

"_I know you could do this." He assured her. _

"_You can't tell anyone about this, Steve. Not even Danny or Chin. Everyone is going to have to believe that I'm going bad in order for this to work. I hate to keep them in the dark….Especially Chin….but I can't risk anyone finding out if I ever want my job back."_

"_Say no more." Steve assured her. "Don't forget, your talking to Super SEAL. I've had enough classified and black OPS missions to know how to keep a secret. Just do me a favor."_

_She looked at him curiously, "What's that."_

"_Promise me…..PROMISE me….that you will call me if you ever get into a situation that is too dangerous and you need some help."_

"_I will."_

"_I mean it, Kono. If it ever gets too rough, call me and I will be there….."_

"…_.Faster than a speeding bullet?" Kono cut him off and Steve laughed. "Yeah, faster than a speeding bullet." He replied._

_As Kono had left that night, Steve had pulled her close for a hug and kissed her on her forehead, "Keep me updated when you can, so I won't worry. Okay?"_

"_You got it, Boss." And with that, she had gone away. _

In the weeks that had followed, Kono had spoken to Steve a couple of times to update him on how things were going. Steve knew that the plans to make this look legitimate were working because he'd been able to read the concern on Chin's face at times. It had taken an incredible amount of resolve not to tell Chin what was going on, but Steve knew he couldn't risk it; Especially if he ever hoped to have Kono back.

So for now, Steve would help keep up the façade and try to keep things going with the rest of the team. Every day away from Kono was getting harder, though, so he hoped things would resolve themselves quickly. If nothing else, the time apart was forcing him to admit the feelings that were growing in his heart for her. The big question was, would he ever be able to act on them when she returned?


End file.
